strippel



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JonN STRIPPEL, on NEW YORK, N; Y.

BOOK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,813, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed February 3, 1890. Serial No. 338,971. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN STRIPPEL, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new andv useful Book-Support, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved means for the support of a book or magazine, the objcct being to furnish a light, cheap, and convenient portable device which may readily be clamped to a magazine or other book having a flexible cover, and thus afford a handle, whei'eby said book or magazine may be supported in proper position for reading the same and the fatigue incident to the usual manner of holding such a book on the outspread hand of the reader avoided.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings, forming a portion of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the device clamped upon the back of a flexible-covered book, showing the rear surface of the attachment. Fig. 2 isa plan view in section, taken on the line a: m in Fig. 1, the position of the book and attachment being reversed from that shown in said figure; and Fig. 3 is a front view of the device detached from a book, one limb of a transverse clamp for the same being broken.

The main portion of the book-support consists of a flattened bar A, on one end of which a suitable handle a is formed or secured. The bar A is preferably made of hard elastic wood; but other material may be used. The portion of the bar extending between the point a, near the handle, and the opposite extremity b has parallel sides and sufficient thickness to insure stability, the edges 1) of this part being curved inwardly toward each other from the end i) a proper degree, for a purpose that will appear, said edges being also beveled from the front side outwardly to form a dovetail in cross-section of the body, as shown in Fig. 2.

There is a longitudinal slot 0 formed in the portion of the bar A that projects beyond the handle a, which slot extends from the handle to the end b, and when in normal condition narrows toward this extremity, afiording two sprin g-limbs d, which, when spread,will clamp upon anything of proper size placed between the same.

A locking-bar B comprises the remaining portion of the device. This consists of a bar of wood or other suitable material shaped substantially as shown, the portion near the longitudinal center being enlarged to permit the formation of a dovetail groove 6 therein on the fiat side, the enlargement f, in which it is cut, projecting from the rear face of the locking-bar, as shown in Fig. 2. The width of the groove e in the locking-bar B should be so proportioned to that of the handle-bar A at its outer end I) that when pushed from the narrower portion, near the handle a, toward the outer end it will embrace and contract the width of said portion of the bar.

In operation the transverse locking-bar B is placed in position near the handle a of the handle-bar A, as shown in Fig. 3. The book or magazine is then inserted in the slot 0 at its inner end. The limbs (I, being spread at their points, will admit the flexible-covered book and clasp it when released, the pre viously-converged sides of the limbs being thus held parallel, and the spring force of the said limbs exerted to retain the book. lVhen a book of a size to be properly inserted has been so placed, the divergence of the limbs d will so increase the wedge shape of the outer edges on the handle-bar A, longitudinally considered, that a sliding movement of the bar B toward the outer end I) of the haudle-barA will cause it to engage the bevel-edges of the handle-bar and press them inwardly, which will result in looking the crossbar B to the handle-bar and the latter upon the engaged book, a reversal of the operation releasing the parts in an obvious manner.

From the peculiar construction of the device it can be produced rapidly on ordinary wood-working machinery, and consequently be afforded at a low'cost to the producer.

Its advantages are manifest, as when clamped on a book it affords a handle that may be firmly grasped, while the open book is supported properly to spread its leaves and expose reading-matter, the book being held at any proper angle to suit the light and vision of the reader.

When not in use, the parts may be compactly connected by a gum band, and thus carried in the pocket of the owner always ready for attachment and service.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a bar having two opposite spring-limbs, of a transverse bar which is adapted to clamp these spring-limbs toward each other, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a handle-bar having two limbs that lie in the same plane and are separated by a tapering slot, of a transverse bar which is grooved to embrace the edges of the handle-bar and clamp its limbs, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a bar having a handle at one end and its body slotted longitudinally, producing limbs which are equal and converge on their adjacent edges, the outer edges being beveled and diverging from the handle, of a transverse bar which is grooved to mate the bevel edges of the handle-bar and adapted to lock thereto when pushed away from the handle, substantially as set forth. 

